Sign announcing apparatus



Feb. 16, 1937. J. LUTHI SIGN ANNOUNCING APPARATUS Filed July 26, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q m w 0 Q auehmm vwemmm mw II n M M a M w W M M a a Q m x g Q N m m vhwn mm QEM W x M 1 w m N Nmb o b m m H h E: 1 Q

Feb. 16, 1937. J. LUTH! SIGN ANNOUNCING APPARATUS Filed July 26, 1935 WWI Patented F eb. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application July 26, 1935, Serial No. 33,319 In Switzerland August 15, 1934 6 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus designed and adapted to advertise signs of any kind. It may be used most advantageously for the purpose of advertising orderly well readable and visible signs as figures and words, for instance the arrival and departure of trains in station yards, the checking numbers in banks or post-oflices, ordinals in concertand music-halls, scores in sporting competitions, exchange-lists etc. Other objects and advantages appear as the description progresses.

The nature of the invention and its distinguishing features and advantages will appear when the following specification is read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which is shown a selected embodiment of it.

Fig. l is an elevation of a double-faced apparatus for numbers of three figures, actuated by electrical motor in connection with tele-controller, the front lid being taken off.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same Without the top lid.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line AA of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 represents a detail of the driving appliance.

Fig. 5 is a diagram of electrical connections.

Fig. 6 is a top plan View of an apparatus advertising simultaneously on six faces.

The sign-announcing apparatus comprises thirty-three similar rods lying one over another, whereof eleven are marked M39, At, A! up to A9, further eleven are marked BM, Bil, Bl up to B9 and another eleven C99, C9, CI up to C9. The rods marked A and the rods marked B are forming the upper group I of twenty-two rods, While the rods marked C, eleven only in number, are forming the lower group II. The rods of group I are bearing on the rail-bar It and the group II glides between the rail-bars it and ii. The rail-bars [0, H, and [2 are well fastened to the struts I3 forming part of the box frame. The rods are, all thirty-three of same, provided with two corresponding slots I4 and it as shown in Fig. 2 through which are passed the studs I6 and II, the latter bolted into the bars l9, II, and [2, being the guides for group I and II. Each rod of the group can be moved axially by itself or together with one or several others simultaneously as far as the slots l4 and I5 run. Further each rod of the group I and II bears two sign-boards D bent at an angle of and connected to the rod each by means of two links 18 forming joints. The links l8 are subjected to the action of the springs l9, which are securing the signboards in their positions relatively to the rod. The whole thirty-three rods are thus bearing sixty-six sign-boards D arranged in six ranges of eleven sign-boards placed one behind another, whereof the upper group of rods I comprises the 5 ranges III, IV, V, and VI and the lower group II the ranges VII and VIII. According to the order in which the figures must be presented on both faces of the apparatus, the corresponding ranges of sign-boards are placed diagonally on the rods. This means that the rod A00 is connected to the sign-boards D39 of range III and D09 of range IV, the second rod Bill] to the sign-boards D00 of range V and D09 of range VI; the rod A9 to the sign-boards D0 of the ranges III and IV; the rod B9 to the sign-boards D9 of the ranges V and VI and so on. On the rods of group II, the lower rod C529 is connected to the sign-board D99 of the ranges VII and VIII, the rod C9 to the signboard D6 of the ranges VII and VIII and so on. 20 The ranges VII and VIII showing the medium figure of the number, they are accordingly disposed opposite to one another. The first signboard Dim of every range doesnt bear any sign, the second, D9 is marked 9, DI marks 1 and 25 finally D9 shows the figure 9. The buttresses E, strongly secured to the box-frame l3, limit the outmost position of the sign-boards for every range. The whole mechanism is well protected and closed up in the box housing of which 20 is the bottom, 2| the lid, 22, 23, 24, and 25 the side-walls. 24 and 25 are the front-parts of the box with three openings F in each of them, namely FIII, FVII and FVI in 24, FV, FVIII and FIV in 25. 35

In order to make quite clear the working of the sign-announcing apparatus, the operating of the parts above described may be mentioned here. For instance by pushing the rod C9 of group II in the direction of the arrow head shown in Fig. 2 the two sign-boards D9 of range VII and VIII connected with this rod are moved in the same direction until they are deviated, knocking the buttresses EVII and E VIII respectively, whereafter the sign-boards continue their movements in directions perpendicular to the direction of the rod and perpendicular to their own planes. The rod has to be pushed on until the sign-boards get in slight contact with the front parts 24 and 25. The sign-boards are bearing the marks 9, which appear now in the openings FVII and FVIII. I

During the motion of translation of the signboards, the connecting links I 8 had to oscillate on their pins against the action of the springs I9.

position, the links I8 are compulsed by the springs l9 and swing back, taking back the signboards D9 as well along the rod and into their ranges VII resp. VIII. Every sign-board can be operated in this manner, brought to appear in its opening and be taken back to its place in the corresponding range. The sign-boards D9 of each range being farthest off the front walls, they require for their operating a longer motion of the supporting rods than the outmost signboards D00.

According to the disposition chosen in this embodiment of the invention, the group of rods 13 operates the ranges of sign-boards III and IV placed in proximity of the first openings on the left of each front wall; the group II C operates the ranges VII and VIII in proximity of the medium openings FVH and FVIII,v and the group IA operates the ranges V and VI in proximity of theopenings F V and F VI. In order to advertise the number 125 for instance, the following rods have to be moved: the first figure being 1, the rod Al brings the sign-boards DI into appearance in F111 and FIV; rod C2 operates the sign-boards D2 appearing ,in FVII and FVIII and rod B5 effects the appearance of the sign-boards D5 in the openings F5 and FVI. The rods may be actuated simultaneously, so

that the number 125 appears at once on both front-Walls together. The sign-boards D00 bearing no signs can be used as blinds for the openings F. The rods are secured in their positions of readiness and of use respectively by means of a locking device comprising'for each rodalock bar G swinging on the pivot 26 bolted to the rod, the lock bar being in connection with a spring 21, a pawl H moving on the pivot 28 under compulsion of a spring 29 and blocking up the lock bar by engaging the heads they are both provided with and finally a solenoid J actuating thepawlH. The lock bars are notched; the slot and crank L,described particularly later on, thus can'catch in the notch and actuate the rod. As

' has been described. formerly, the rods have to move for different length of spaces varying from a minimum space for the rods operating the signboards D00 to a maximal space for the rods operating the'sign-boards D9. Accordingly the notches in the lock bars G must be of varying lengths, of which the shortest corresponding to the rods supporting sign-boards D9 and the widest corresponding to the rods supporting sign-boards DOB areshown in Fig. 2. Asingle locking device is shown in Figures 1 and 2 in order to avoid complicating of the drawings. Locking bars and pawls are arranged symmetrically in the apparatus; but for the solenoids being more voluminous, they are placed in several vertical ranges accordingly. The Fig. 2 shows the initial position of the locking parts; when unlocked, the locking bars G, under compulsion of the springs 21, swing over into the Working position IX shown in'dot and dash lines in Fig. 2. This occurs only when the pawl H releases the locking bar, lifted by the core of the solenoid J actuated electrically.

If the rod C9 is now brought back to its initial disc is chosen in order to obtain f. i. thirty revolutions per minute for the latter. The pin 32 fastened in the slot and crank L actuates the commutator 33. of the solenoid circuit. The initial position X of the slot and crank L is shown in dot and dash lines in Figs. 1 and 2. By means of a special controlling appliance described further on it is possible to have the crank disc K effectuating the one revolution required and the commutator 33 to connect the corresponding solenoids J of which the rods have to be moved in order to realize a chosen advertisement. For instance the rod A00 has to be moved on. The motor drives the crank disc K for one revolution and the slot and crank L leaves its initial position X, moving forwards; reaching the end of this first stroke, L operates the commutator 33 by means of the pin 32 and thus the circuit of the solenoid Jill) is closed. The solenoid re-- moves the'pawl H00 and the corresponding spring 2's swings the lock bar G0!) in its working position parallelly to the rodiABO. The revolution of the crank disc K going on, the slot and crank L moves on its backward stroke back to the initial position X but it takes along on this stroke the rod A00, the lock bar of which is engaged with L by-its notch. If more than one look bar has been released by the solenoid and has come into its working position, six f. i. L gets engaged with them and pulls all the corresponding rods together. A second revolution of the crank disc K cancels the advertisement: on the forward stroke of L, the rods are altogether moved back to the initial position until the ends of the slots 14 and I5 come to bear against the studs 6 and H. L continues its stroke and pushes on the sloped ends of the notches in the lock bars G, pro voking the latter to rotate on the axis 26 and to swing back until caught by the pawls H. The backward stroke of the slot and crank can operate a new advertisement, if another set of solenoids have been pre-engaged on the controller. The cancelling of an advertisement and the setting of a new one require a single rotation f the crank disc K.

This single rotation of said crank disc K driven by the motor 38 is secured by the stopping device shown in Fig. 4. In the notch 34 cut into the rim of the crank disc clutches a head 36 of the lever 35, the lever 35 being under compulsion of a spring 31 and locked in thisposition by a pawl 58 of a servo 39. One end of lever 35 is connected with the main commutator controlling the motor 38. When excited, the servo 39 releases the lever 35 and moves it to the left, disengaging as well the clutch 36 and simultaneously operating the main controller 40. Thus the motor 38 starts and drives the crank disc K,

but after a complete revolution of the latter the head 36 catches again into the notch 34 and stops the disc K as well as the motor, afriction clutch being the connecting link between them.

The diagram of the electric connections is shown in Fig. 5, wherein 38 is the motor, 39 the servo operating the main'controller lfl. The commutator 33, referred to in Figs. 1 and 2, operates the solenoids J. 4-! are incandescent lamps illuminating the transparent sign-boards fixed up in the apparatus boxbetween the rail bars I 0 and I [(Fig. 1) while designates the main commutatorand 43 an intermediate commutator in the lamp circuit. The commutator 43 isop erated by the lever- 35 (Fig. 4) like the main controller Ml. M indicates a transformer'and 45 the controlling board on whichthe' signs to (A be advertised'have to be selected. The main leads M and N, supplying f. i. alternating current of 220 volts, are directly connected in 46 and 41 on the primary coil of the transformer 44 and branched off to the motor, directly and P over the main controller 40. The secondary side of the transformer with a tension of four volts f. i. is connected from the pole 48 over the line Q and the commutator 33 to the solenoids J, while the line R connects the pole 49 with the controlling board 45, presenting in three ranges of eleven Signs 00, 0, 1 9 each the ends of connecting lines 5, connecting them with the corresponding solenoids. A shunt rail with a contact lever 50 enables the operator to close the solenoid circuit of any range according to the notice to be advertised. A branch connection QI branches oil the pole 43 to the servo 39, communicating over the line RI with the contact lever 50 of the digit range on controlling board 45, this contact lever 50 being combined with a timed commutator. The lead Q is further branched off in 33, the lead R in 42, Q2 and R2 forming the lamp circuit.

The apparatus having to advertise the figure 125 for instance operates as follows: the contact lever 50 of the first range on controlling board 45 be placed by the operator on the contact I, the said lever of the second range on contact 2 and finally the same of the third range (digit range) on contact 5, latter actuating simultaneously the timed commutator. The circuit of the servo 39 thus being closed, the pawl 5| is released and clutches the lever 35 01?, actuating as well the main controller 4! and the commutator 43 of the lamp circuit. The motor starts and drives the crank disc K with the slot and crank L, by which the commutator 33 is operated and closes the circuit of the solenoids J. The lock bars G released by the corresponding solenoids clutch with the slot and crank L and are taken along by the same together with the rods on which they are fastened.

The sign-announcing apparatus according to the invention presents the advantage that it allows the operating of one or more announcing boards by a single driving appliance, thus simplifying the construction and reducing the dimension of the housing. The signs to be shown appear directly in the show openings and are readable at any reasonable distance.

The electrical driving appliance may as well be substituted by a hand operated device, wherein the solenoids could be replaced by hand operated keys. Further the rod groups might be arranged in a vertical position if necessary and advantageous, as it is the case on railway-stations where several wordy texts disposed one below another have to be announced. If the announcing boards must be visible from any direction, a hexagonal form of the housing as shown in 6 may be chosen. In such a case, six complete and similar groups of sign-board mechanisms are required, a single one being driven by the driving appliance,

' whereas the rods of the five remaining groups are connected by a lever system to the directly driven rods or linked up chainlike. The apparatus may be adapted for any use.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A sign announcing apparatus comprising in combination at least one rod, a driving appliance adapted to axially displace said rod first in one direction and then in the other direction, at least one sign board movably mounted on and displaceable with said rod, and a buttress in the path of movement of said sign-board out of its plane of movement during the displacement of said rod in one direction and to guide it back into its initial position during the displacement of said rod in the other direction.

2. In a sign announcing apparatus as specified in claim 1, at least one spring adapted to be compressed by the deflection of the sign board during the displacement of the rod in one direction and to press said sign board back into the initial position during the displacement of said rod into the other direction.

3. A sign announcing apparatus as specified in claim 1 in which several rods and sign boards are employed, said rods being arranged in groups and said sign boards disposed in rows perpendicularly to said group of rods.

4. A sign announcing apparatus as specified in claim 1 in which a plurality of rods and sign boards are employed, said rods being arranged in groups and said sign boards disposed in rows perpendicularly to said groups of rods, sign boards bearing identical signs being disposed on both sides of said rod groups and adapted to appear simultaneously at both sides of the apparatus in the same order.

5. A sign announcing apparatus as specified in claim 1 in which a plurality of rods and sign boards are employed said rods being arranged in several groups linked up together in optional position and driven by a. simple driving appliance, one group of rods transmitting its motion to the other groups.

6. In a sign announcing apparatus as specified in claim 1 wherein a plurality of rods are employed directly controlled by the driving appliance, a sign selecting appliance comprising a plurality of sign contacts, and a rod locking system adapted to cooperate with said contacts to lock the rods carrying the sign boards bearing the selected signs so that these boards are displaced and appear in the apparatus. JULES LUTHI. 

